The present invention relates generally to the containing and dispensing of food products, and more particularly to a food container holding a combination of food products, and methods of forming and using thereof.
Prior art food products, particularly snack products, are packaged in a wide variety of containers, including cans, bags, boxes and so forth. Generally, each of these containers shares a common attribute in that the food product contained therein is dispensed from the top of the container. This attribute generally precludes the ability to combine food products such that they may be conveniently dispensed from a single container and eaten together.
One of the attempts to package multiple ready-to-eat products in a single container is a lunch or snack kit that has various food products, such as crackers, meats, cheeses or spreads. Generally, each of these packages is intended for a single use because the packages are not re-sealable. The food products generally require two hands to eat (e.g., to put the cheese or meat on a cracker) and therefore require a flat surface or other stable support for them to be consumed conveniently. Each package is generally disposed of after the single use, even if the consumer has not eaten all of the food products contained in the package, thereby possibly wasting food and some of the consumer""s money.
Another example of a multiple food product container is a tray containing chips and dip. This type of container generally has the same problems as the lunch kits discussed above. This container also is intended as a single use food dispenser. Both of the food products are accessed from the top of the tray, and once the container is opened, if all the chips are not consumed in a single sitting, there is no convenient mechanism for resealing and saving the chips for a future snack or meal. The same problem may also apply to the dip; once the dip container is opened, the dip is generally consumed in a single sitting because the dip container may not be resealable. In addition, the chips and dip may be subject to spillage if the consumer attempts to hold the tray with one hand and eat with the other, because a tray typically is a difficult type of container to hold in one relative to other types of containers such as canisters. Therefore a flat surface or other stable support is generally used to support the tray while consuming the food products contained in the tray.
In summary, there are several disadvantages to prior art food containers. For single-food-product containers that provide top access to the contents, such as a bag of potato chips, a consumer typically reaches into the bag and gets oils or seasonings or the like on the consumer""s hand. This requires extra care by the consumer to not spread the oils and the like to the local surroundings, and generally requires some type of cleanup afterward.
As for canister type single product containers, in which the consumer generally tips the canister to dispense product into the consumer""s hand, there is generally a tendency for excess salt, spices, food product fragments, and other undesirable debris to spill out, along with the desired food product. The consumer is then faced with the options of consuming the debris or of disposing of it in some way.
With respect to multiple-food-product containers, such containers in prior art generally are intended for a single use only, and the food products are packaged in a one-size-fits-all portion size. Generally, if a consumer does not want to eat the entire portion, the consumer either throws the remainder away, or eats more than intended so as not to waste food or money. In addition, prior art containers generally do not provide any options for re-sealing so that excess food may be consumed at a later time, or transported easily without the risk of spillage or contamination.
Furthermore, prior art multiple-food-product containers generally require some type of stationary or stable surface to enable the user to conveniently consume the food products. Prior art containers therefore are not conducive to dispensing multiple food products for consumption while walking or during other activities where a stable surface is not readily available.
These and other problems are generally solved or circumvented, and technical advantages are generally achieved, by preferred embodiments of the present invention in which a multiple-food-product container dispenses one food product from at or near one region of the container, and dispenses another food product at or near the other region of the container.
In accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a container for dispensing multiple food products comprises a first compartment for holding a first food product, the first compartment having a first access region and a first coupling region opposite the first access region, the first access region having a first opening providing access to an interior of the first compartment, and a second compartment for holding a second food product, the second compartment having a second access region and a second coupling region opposite the second access region, the second coupling region coupled to the first coupling region of the first compartment, the second access region having a second opening providing access to an interior of the second compartment. The first food product may be dispensed through the first opening at the first access region of the container, and the second food product may be dispensed through the second opening at the second access region of the container.
In accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a container for dispensing multiple food products comprises a first food chamber, a second food chamber, the second food chamber coupled to the first chamber, a first opening at a first region of the first food chamber, the first region opposite the second food chamber, a first moveable lid sealing the first opening, a second opening at a second region of the second food chamber, the second region opposite the first food chamber, a flap sealing the second opening, a first food disposed in the first chamber, and a second food disposed in the second chamber.
In accordance with yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a container for dispensing multiple food products comprises an upper food compartment, a lower food compartment, wherein a top of the lower food compartment is coupled to a bottom of the upper food compartment, a resealable opening disposed at a top of the first food compartment, a resealable second opening disposed proximate a bottom of the second food compartment, a first food disposed in the upper food compartment, and a second food disposed in the lower food compartment.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a method of forming a multiple-food container comprises forming a first section having a first compartment, and having a first opening at a top of the first section, filling the first compartment with a first food, sealing the first opening at the top of the first compartment with a removable lid, forming a second section having a second compartment, forming a second opening having a moveable seal proximate a bottom of the second compartment, filling the second compartment with a second food, sealing the second compartment; and coupling a top of the second section to a bottom of the first section.
In accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a method of dispensing multiple food products from a single container comprises moving a seal to expose a first opening to a first chamber at a top of the container, moving a seal to expose a second opening to a second chamber proximate a bottom of the container, extracting a first portion of a first food product from the second chamber through the second opening, and extracting a second portion of a second food product from the first chamber through the first opening.
One advantage of a preferred embodiment of the present invention is that it allows for the convenient dispensing of multiple food products from a single container. The multiple food products, such as chips and dip may be easily combined together and consumed with one hand accessing the food products and the other hand holding the container. Alternatively, if the container is otherwise stabilized, only a single hand may be used to access the food products.
Another advantage of a preferred embodiment of the present invention is that it is re-sealable, and leftover food product may be saved for consumption at a later time instead of being thrown away. Thus neither the food nor the consumer""s money is wasted. In addition, the container may be resealed and transported easily without the risk of spilling the contents. The container may appeal to a wider range of consumers that want the flexibility of deciding how much to eat at one time, and who want to consume the food products intermittently.
Another advantage of a preferred embodiment of the present invention is that dispensing a food such as chips from the bottom of the container is generally a cleaner method than dispensing the food from the top of the container. In this preferred embodiment only the tips of the fingers are exposed to the oily surface of the chips and inside of the container, instead of the entire hand. In addition, because the container does not require tipping to dispense chips, undesirable debris, such as excess salt, is not spilled out of the container.
Another advantage of a preferred embodiment of the present invention is that it may hold two food products that can be combined before eating, such as chips and dip, or two food products that are not combined before eating. For example, a single container may hold a drink in the upper compartment, and nuts or chips in the lower compartment. The container may have a size and shape that fits in a standard cup holder, without the risk of the food product spilling out.
Another advantage of a preferred embodiment of the present invention is that the container may be made reasonably crushproof and durable, and thus no additional or special precautions are necessary for storing, packing or carrying the food contents.
Another advantage of a preferred embodiment of the present invention is that the container may be made modular, such that separate components containing different types of food products may be connected together to form the complete container. For example, with a chip and dip food combination, the consumer may choose from a selection of upper components containing different types of dips, and also choose from a selection of lower components containing different types of chips. The two components may then be combined together to form the whole container. Therefore the manufacturer is not required to make and the seller is not required to stock every possible combination to appeal to all consumer tastes. The individual consumer may decide at the point of purchase which specific combination of food products is desired at that time. Alternatively, multiple lower components may be stacked together with a top component for a multiple chip container. In addition, multiple top compartments may be stacked together, although generally only the food product in the uppermost compartment may be accessed at one time.